Coal fired power stations across our electricity market have continued to record huge numbers of breakdowns during the peak summer period of 2025-26, compounded by overrun maintenance. Victoria’s coal fleet had an average of 25% of their capacity offline at any point from 1 October 2025 to 28 February 2026.
A new Reliability Watch report has identified that over the 2025-26 summer period, the coal-fired power stations in Australia’s largest grid had a staggering 108 outages, including 18 scheduled and 90 unplanned breakdowns. This builds on previous report findings, which showed that Australia’s ageing coal fired power stations broke down 247 times in the twelve months to October 2025.
On average, 5.3 GW, or 25%, of coal fired power station capacity was unavailable at any point during the period from October 2025 to February 2026. As well as breakdowns, coal fired power station maintenance is becoming significantly more problematic.
Of the coal fired power units which were scheduled to have maintenance over the period, these planned shutdowns overran by an average of two weeks. Maintenance on units at Yallourn – Victoria’s second-largest power station – went on for more than twice as long as planned.
Environment Victoria says the continued breakdowns and maintenance problems show that coal power is on its last legs, and that both the Victorian government and the opposition need to show they have the right policies locked in to ensure that the cheapest new form of electricity – renewables backed up with batteries – is built on time.
Environment Victoria’s Senior climate and energy adviser Dr Kat Lucas-Healey said:
“These report findings are hard, indisputable evidence that our coal clunkers are failing and need to be replaced.”
“Words won’t keep the lights on and bills down – actions will. We need to be building the best solar, wind and battery projects that are already in the pipeline and connecting them to the rest of Victoria.”
“We need reliable and clean energy. Victorian coal-fired power stations have the highest carbon emissions intensity in the country. Loy Yang A in Victoria and Eraring in NSW each had more than 10 breakdowns in the peak summer period.”
“Despite this being an election year, we still have no clear coal policy or plan for energy transition from the Victorian Liberal-National Coalition under Jess Wilson. Instead, they are ignoring the unreliable coal-fired power stations and proposing new red tape for renewables.”
“Given the noisy and openly anti-renewables elements with the Coalition – it’s time Jess Wilson was upfront on what energy policies she will be taking to the Victorian election in November.”
“While renewable energy is now contributing around 50% of energy in the NEM, we need to take the decisive step to close our polluting, aging coal power stations and leave them behind in the last century where they belong.”